Tanzania: New technology to facilitate telecommunications in rural areas

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania plans to use new technology that allows for the placement of devices in the sky to provide signals so as to connect people and provide better communication services.

The technology approved during a recent global meeting on spectrum involves sending special communication equipment between 20 and 50 kilometres above sea level, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) director general, Dr Jabir Bakari, said in a statement.

The new technology will work in the same way telecommunication towers do to provide networks to enable areas that are not covered to receive communication and internet services, especially in rural areas.

“The meeting permitted the use of the new technology, which will facilitate coverage in areas that had no communication services,” said Dr Bakari in the statement.

The use of such equipment is the result of the World Radio Communication Conference (WRC-23) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from November 20 to December 15, where a Tanzanian delegation of experts in various fields attended, led by the Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Mr Nape Nnauye.

Dr Bakari said the conference allowed Tanzania to get more spectrum for expanding 5G internet services, which are important for the growth of the digital economy.

The increase in the spectrum is also expected to improve aeronautical and maritime communications in Tanzania.

Speaking to the Tanzanian delegation, Mr Nnauye insisted that the experts should start planning to take steps to implement the agreement, including involving various stakeholders on where the communication sector is headed and taking advantage of the opportunities arising from the communication revolution in the world.

He said Tanzania has fully participated in the meeting to ensure that the interests of the country are defended in the planning of communication frequencies and satellite orbits.

“Tanzania is implementing major reforms in the communication sector, so it is important for our country to fully participate in the meeting to ensure that our interests are defended in the planning of communication frequencies and satellite orbits so that Tanzania continues to make progress and bring development to the people,” he said.

Dr Bakari said Tanzania will benefit from the meeting by increasing new frequencies that will enable high-speed internet service.

“This is important in stimulating the digital economy due to the role of the communication sector as an enabling sector to provide efficiency in other sectors such as finance, tourism, agriculture, health, education, advertising, infrastructure, transportation, and many other areas,” he said.

He said the increase in new frequencies will be used to improve the safety of air and water communications as well as navigation, including weather forecasting.

Dr Bakari emphasised that another area that Tanzania will benefit from is the protection of the use of digital televisions on the UHF band, which is the frequency responsible for the provision of broadcasting services through installations on the ground.